David Pastorius and Christian Fabian Release “No Tricks”

Bassists David Pastorius and Christian Fabian have teamed up to release No Tricks, a 10-track album of electric bass duos. At first glance, the pairing may seem an unlikely fit. Fabian is a member of the Lionel Hampton Big Band while Pastorius, who is the nephew of bass legend Jaco, has performed alongside artists like Tech Nine. However, after a listen it’s apparent the duo have good chemistry.

This is made clear through the music, but the duo takes track six, “How We Got Together,” to explain how they connected. It’s also made clear through the liner notes by master jazz bassist Ron Carter. No Tricks includes all original songs plus a cover of Parliament/Funkadelic’s “Maggot Brain.”

Carter’s liner notes for “Ping Pong” read, “This is the kinda song where two musicians say, ‘Let’s just play.’ The results here are full of fun and mischief!” Check out the track: